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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam
The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.
Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.
Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!
Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.
Click here to report a problem with this page.
Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:
- This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "fedexdelivery2010@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "FEDEX COURIER DELIVERY" <fedexdelivery2010@w.cn>
Reply-To: fedexcourier2010@w.cn
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:16:21 -0300 (BRT)
Subject: FedEx DELIVERY SERVICE
Greetings!
I have been waiting for you since to contact for your Confirmable
Bank Draft of $800.000.00 United States Dollars,but I did not hear
from you since that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft with
FedEx DELIVERY SERVICE,West Africa,I travelled out of the
country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of OCTOBER.
You have to contact the FedEx DELIVERY SERVICE now for thedelivery of your
Draft with this Information Below:
Contact Person: Mr. LARRY CHURCHILL
Email Address:fedexdelivery2010@w.cn
Telephone: +234 8072179492
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address; Direct telephone
number; Do send it to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and
ask them to
give
you the tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know
when it will get to your address.
Yours Faithfully
Mrs. Sonia Martin
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Anti-fraud resources:
